Thursday, July 29, 2010

Learning to be Positive

So, last week something special happened. Ok, well maybe not special, because that would be sarcastic, but some things happened. All three of our cats had something happen/go wrong with their bodies. One required surgery, another medication, and the third --- a 5 am bath.

Initially I was going to write this post and just give you the facts - what happened, why it sucked, etc. But waiting a week to write it gave me some perspective on what happened, and caused me to look at things in a more positive light. So instead of sharing these stories with you in a 'woe is me' tone, I am going to simply state what happened, and the positives surrounding each event. Trying to teach myself not to be so down about stuff.

Jonah: This kitty is a lover, but a fighter. He is tough, and big, and orange! While he is a love bug indoors, he holds his ground outside. Living in a condo means there are lots of cats that come around looking to fight. One night we noticed a patch on his back that sounded like liquid was inside - an abscess. Off to the vet he went, for some simple fix, we hoped. Nope! Surgery was in the cards for this cat! Things are fun when you take Jonah to the vet, cuz you see the vets rate the cats for "feistyness" - he gets a whooping 9 of 10! This means he gets loaded into a gas induction chamber for his anesthesia - no shots for that monster. P.S. This surgery is very very expensive.

The Positives: The surgery was textbook, and there were no complications and it was a bit easier because the abscess hadn't actually burst yet. He is a champ when it comes to taking his meds. He is so funny to watch cruzing around with the plastic Elizabethan collar on his head. He has a humorous strut, and his entire back is shaved so he looks funny. Plus, he is an old pro, as you may remember he had this same surgery just after Christmas for the abscess that burst on his cheek (yes, that was only 6 months ago). The best thing was that when he went in to get the drainage tubes taken out of his back, he did not fuss, so they did not need to load him into the anesthesia gas chamber. Woo! We got a $43 credit for this!

Mary Jane: Jane is a lady. Sometimes when she lays down, she crosses her little feet. We knew something was wrong when this little lady was going in and out of the litter box every 20 minutes or so. She looked like she was trying to go potty but could not. I bet she did not appreciate my constant attention to her litter box time. What a nosy mother! Also we noticed a change in behavior. She was not sleeping in our bed, and she was avoiding us. We wondered if she had a bladder infection, so off to the vet she went. I was hoping it wasn't stones... or worse, bad kidneys.

The Positives: The credit we got for Jonah almost covered the whole exam fee. BONUS! Thanks Jonah! They did a urinalysis on her, gave her a couple shots and sent her home with antibiotics. We had to wait the whole weekend to find out the results. Tick tock, I do not like to wait! I worried about stones, about kidneys, about everything. Oh please say its a bladder infection! Pleeeease! Yes! What's that you say Dr.? No stones? Mild bacteria? Praise Jesus! Sincerely, praise Him. It could have been so much worse, and so much more expensive. Two weeks of antibiotics and a checkup later and we should be all better. I have my snugly little kitteh back.

Jesse: The Bear. Sunshine Bear. Lazy Bear. I like to think up adjectives or nouns and insert them before his name. The night before we took Jonah in for his surgery we heard a horrible cat screams at about 5 am. Billy went outside to investigate and there was Jesse, soaking wet and filthy. He had just been victim to a neighborhood bully cat, and the early morning sprinklers. Not being much of a fighter you could tell he took a beating. In fact, he was so scared he pooped, and it was all over his back legs and tail. YAY! We started to wipe him down but quickly realized a bath in the tub was the only solution. So that's what we did. Gave a cat a bath in the tub at 5 am. He was good, thank the Lord. So then as I was toweling him off I noticed a gash on his back, then another, and another, and another. They were everywhere. Out came the hydrogen peroxide and cotton balls, and the cleaning of wounds began. Then I had to take a shower and attempt to fall back asleep before I had to get up for work one hour later.

The Positives: I didn't have to take a shower when I got up to go to work. I practiced washing someone poopy, and I got to hone my cat bathing skills. We got to prune (or hack) the tree in the patio that he had been climbing to get out at night. Plus a new rule was established: no more going out at night! Everyone is on lock-down, no excuses. They always have excuses. I don't know why we didn't have this rule in place before. The last positive, is that Jesse is the most docile of the three, which means he was the easiest to bathe and pour hydrogen peroxide on. Beautiful!

I hope you have enjoyed the tale of the three mischief makers. If you have made it down this far in my post, you either love cats or love me. I am glad I thought to look at the positives instead of dwell on the negatives. Everyone seems to be healing up, although no one is allowed outside, for like... ever!

10 comments:

I hope that this is the last of the kitty drama for you! No fun at all. I loved the way you wrote this post. Your kitties all have such little personalities. You can see it just by looking at their little faces. Glad they are all on the mend.

When I first saw the picture with the dreaded collar, I had to giggle, but when I saw his poor little shaved back side, I felt badly for giggling. I hope he has a speedy recovery.Animals are great practice for the little ones that come later :) Animal are great fun aren't they, they pull at our heart strings, entertain us, and love us. Thanks for sharing your funny stories.

I love cats and I love you! Man what a week, poor little kitties, I hate seeing animals having problems like that because all you want to do is tell them you are doing this to make them feel better, but they don't quite understand! They are all so lucky to have such loving parents :) Jazz-the WIlliams cat who is almost 18, was just diagnosed with some kind of kidney thing, and has to get fluid injections EVERY day! Not sure for how long...10 days are scheduled. But I am glad your babies are on the mend now! Give them some love for me